Peter Hess Stone (February 27, 1930 – April 26, 2003) was an American screenwriter and playwright. Stone is perhaps best remembered by the general public for the screenplays he wrote or co-wrote in the mid-1960s, ''Charade'' (1963), '' Father Goose'' (1964), and ''

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...

'' (1965).

Life and career

Early life

Stone was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

to Jewish parents. His mother,

Hilda Hilda is one of several female given names derived from the name ''Hild'', formed from Old Norse , meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. Th ...

(née Hess), was a film writer, and his father, John Stone (born Saul Strumwasser), was the writer and producer of many silent films, including

Tom Mix Thomas Edwin Mix (born Thomas Hezikiah Mix; January 6, 1880 – October 12, 1940) was an American film actor and the star of many early Western films between 1909 and 1935. He appeared in 291 films, all but nine of which were silent films. He w ...

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milita ...

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

and

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...

movies. Hilda was a Bavarian Jew from

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...

, but was born in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

(her father dodged the draft in the 1870s) and lived there for five years with her family until all foreign nationals were kicked out during the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Stone had an older brother David, who was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy. When Stone was 15, his parents took him to see ''

Mexican Hayride ''Mexican Hayride'' is a 1948 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is based on Cole Porter's Broadway musical ''Mexican Hayride (musical), Mexican Hayride'' starring Bobby Clark (comedian), Bobby Clark. No songs from th ...

'' starring Bobby Clark at the

Hazard's Pavilion Hazard's Pavilion was a large auditorium in Los Angeles, California, at the intersection of Fifth and Olive Streets. Showman George "Roundhouse" Lehman had planned to construct a large theatre center on the land he purchased at this location, bu ...

. Stone saw Clark throw his hat onto a hat tree 100 feet away, and, at that moment, knew he wanted to work in theatre.Archived a
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He graduated from University High School in

, and attended

Bard College Bard College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic ...

starting in 1947. While at Bard, Stone wrote two plays that were both produced and performed at the school.

Paris

After Stone graduated Bard, his mother (still married) eloped to Paris with a Hungarian literary agent (also married) named George Marton. While in Paris, they both settled their divorces and married each other. Stone describes this as "a really great opportunity came to me through what should have been emotionally wrenching, but wasn't", stating that his mother hated Hollywood and was finally happy. After visiting them in the late 1940s, Stone lived in and around Paris for about thirteen years. Stone worked for

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

while overseas, as a radio writer and newsreader. He also did television features on subjects like the Arc de Triomphe horse race, the Cannes Film Festival and Princess Grace's wedding. "I was getting a sentimental education and letting Hollywood rub off me," he said later.'Titanic' Adds Another Feather to His Cap: iographyGrimes, William. ''New York Times'' 18 May 1997: 34. Not too long after this, Stone got married. During this time Stone sold his first script to '' Studio One'' in 1956, "A Day Before Battle".

''Kean''

In 1953, Stone saw a play by

Jean Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and litera ...

called ''Kean'', adapted from the play by

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where '' '' is French for 'father', to distinguish him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils), was a French writer ...

based on the life of

Edmund Kean Edmund Kean (4 November 178715 May 1833) was a celebrated British Shakespearean stage actor born in England, who performed, among other places, in London, Belfast, New York, Quebec, and Paris. He was known for his short stature, tumultuo ...

. The Broadway singer and actor

Alfred Drake Alfred Drake (October 7, 1914 – July 25, 1992) was an American actor and singer. Biography Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Broo ...

was keen to make ''Kean'' into a musical, so much so that his agent (who was also Stone's agent) became the producer. Stone signed on in December 1960. On 2 November 1961 ''

Kean Kean may refer to: * Kean (name) * Kean (play), ''Kean'' (play), 1838 play by Alexandre Dumas père based on the life of the actor Edmund Kean, and its adaptations: ** Kean (1921 film), ''Kean'' (1921 film), a German silent historical film ** Kean ...

'' premiered on Broadway, with music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, and Stone as playwright. He was hesitant to write for a musical, even though he loved them and saw them: "I did not see myself as doing that...and then an opportunity arose...I just wanted to be on Broadway". Stone needed some help, so he consulted

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

. Stone said of him, "terribly talented, successful and sophisticate man", when asking Loesser where songs went and other questions about musical structure, and said he was "more than helpful, he was inspiring". The show only ran for 92 performances but helped establish Stone on Broadway.

Television

Stone wrote two episodes of the 1961 television series ''

The Asphalt Jungle ''The Asphalt Jungle'' is a 1950 American film noir heist film directed by John Huston. Based on the 1949 novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett, it tells the story of a jewel robbery in a Midwestern city. The film stars Sterling Hayden and Lo ...

'' and three episodes of '' The Defenders''. One of his ''Defenders'' episodes, "The Benefactors", dealt with abortion care providers and was highly controversial, resulting in sponsors leaving the show. The ''New York Times'' called it "a remarkable demonstration of the use of theatre as an instrument of editorial protest." Stone won an Emmy for his script. He also wrote episodes of ''

Espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...

'' and '' Brenner''."Peter Stone, Award-Winning Writer of '1776,' Dies at 73"
''New York Times'', April 28, 2003.

''Charade'' and working for Universal

Stone's first film script was ''

Charade Charade or charades may refer to: Games * Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game Films/TV * ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason * ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and A ...

'' (1963), which he turned into a novel at the suggestion of his agent Robert Lance. Stone said he submitted his original script "everywhere and nobody wanted it". After it was made into a novel, it was published, and portions of it were even printed before publication in ''

Redbook ''Redbook'' is an American women's magazine that is published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the " Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines. It ceased print publication as of January 2019 and now operates an article-comprise ...

''. Stone sold the script to

Stanley Donen Stanley Donen ( ; April 13, 1924 – February 21, 2019) was an American film director and choreographer whose most celebrated works are '' On the Town,'' (1949) and ''Singin' in the Rain'' (1952), both of which he co-directed with Gene Kell ...

, whom he chose because "One, was he was the only person who hadn't seen it before and I felt silly selling it to the people who rejected it. Two, It got me out of New York, which at that point I wanted to, I'd been there a long time with ''Kean''. And three, Stanley got stars, and I had written with

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

and

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

in mind". "I was on the set every day," Stone remembered, "and I had a marvelous time. There were very few hands involved. It was just Stanley (Donen, the director) and me and the actors, and we all worked it out together. It was an absolutely grand experience." Universal who made ''Charade'' promptly signed Stone to write two more films: ''

'', based on a novel by

Howard Fast Howard Melvin Fast (November 11, 1914 – March 12, 2003) was an American novelist and television writer. Fast also wrote under the pen names E.V. Cunningham and Walter Ericson. Biography Early life Fast was born in New York City. His mother, ...

, and '' Father Goose'' (1964), based on a story by Frank Tarloff, which Stone did at the behest of Cary Grant, who wanted to star. When ''Charade'' came out it was a huge success. Stone signed an exclusive five-picture deal with

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

. ''Father Goose'' was made before ''Mirage''. It earned Stone his one and only Oscar for Best Screenplay; he shared it with Tarloff. According to one of his obituaries, "Some felt that the honor was, in part, a delayed tribute for the overlooked ''Charade'' script." ''Father Goose'' was a conventional comedy but Stone's next two scripts share a common theme and a style of screenwriting with ''Charade''. Primarily, they attempt a blend of comedy, suspense, and romance: ''

'' (1965) and ''

Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...

'' (1966), both starring

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

. A decade before

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...

earned a reputation exploiting Hitchcockian motifs, Stone's work in the 1960s employed

Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

-like narratives, even while the director was still an active film maker. Hitchcock's influence is especially evident in the

Edward Dmytryk Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 – July 1, 1999) was an American film director. He was known for his 1940s films noir, noir films and received an Academy Award for Best Director, Oscar nomination for Best Director for ''Crossfire (film), Cros ...

-directed ''Mirage'', a suspense-mystery that Stone adapted from the Howard Fast novel ''Fallen Angel''. The narrative has Peck suffering from "unconscious amnesia" while dodging bullets in downtown New York. Although shot in black-and-white, many of its themes and images are reminiscent of ''

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

''. The cast included

Walter Matthau Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), ''King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...

and

George Kennedy George Harris Kennedy Jr. (February 18, 1925 – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" opposite Paul Newman in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), winning the Academ ...

from ''Charade''. Peck was also in ''Arabesque'' which was directed by Donen. Stone disliked the end result and used the pseudonym 'Pierre Marton' on the credits (literally 'Peter Stone' in French, as well as an homage to his stepfather George Marton). Stone wrote some scripts which were not made, including ''The Expert'' (1964) written with Theodore Flicker. Stone's contract with Universal enabled him to continue to write for theatre. He had a minor hit on Broadway with the musical ''

Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

'' (1965–66) with

Julie Harris Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play. Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...

, that went for 248 performances. Stone later called it "A terrific idea, but it never jelled." "People don't know what a book is", he said later. "They think it's the jokes. Well, everybody knows the actors make those up as they go along. A book is a concept and a structure, and dialogue is the smallest part... You can have the best score in the world, but if the book is weak, it won't work. On the other hand, if the book is good, it can carry a mediocre score." Stone did a pilot for a TV series, ''Ghostbreakers '' (1967), that was not picked up. He adapted '' Androcles and the Lion'' (1967) for TV, starring

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

and directed by

Joe Layton Joe Layton (May 3, 1931 – May 5, 1994) was an American director and choreographer known primarily for his work on Broadway.Dunning, Jennifer. (9 May 1994). Page B7.'Joe Layton, Choreographer And Director, Is Dead at 64' Obituary. New York Ti ...

and did the book for a musical, ''The Games People Play'' with Feuer and Martin, based on the best-selling text book (it ended up not being produced). "I think I've always had an appetite for a certain kind of urbane comedy", he said in a 1967 interview. "But I don't believe comedy in and of itself is an end."Peter: A Chip Off the Elder Stone Scheuer, Philip K. ''Los Angeles Times'' 9 July 1967: c15. Stone wrote a series of films for Universal: ''

The Secret War of Harry Frigg ''The Secret War of Harry Frigg'' is a 1968 American comedy war film set in World War II. It was directed by Jack Smight and stars Paul Newman. Plot Several brigadier generals (American, British, and French) are unexpectedly taken prisoner by the ...

'' (1968), a World War Two comedy with

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

; ''

Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...

'' (1968), a mystery with

Bradford Dillman Bradford Dillman (April 14, 1930 – January 16, 2018) was an American actor and author. Early life Bradford Dillman was born on April 14, 1930, in San Francisco, the son of Dean Dillman, a stockbroker, and Josephine (née Moore). Bradford's pa ...

; the film adaptation of the musical ''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. It is based on ...

'' (1969), directed by

Bob Fosse Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals ''The Pajam ...

, which was an unexpected box office flop; and what became ''

Skin Game ''Skin Game'' is a 1971 American independent comedy western directed by Paul Bogart and Gordon Douglas, and starring James Garner and Lou Gossett. The supporting cast features Susan Clark, Edward Asner, Andrew Duggan, Parley Baer and R ...

'' (1971).

''1776''

Stone wrote the book for the Broadway musical ''

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January 1 ...

'' (1969–72) which went for 1,217 performances. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical and Stone won the Drama Desk Award for Best Book. Stone continued to write scripts at Universal, doing work on ''Skin Game'' and writing a story about black-white relations that was ultimately never made, ''The Ornament''. He did some uncredited script doctoring on the book for the stage musical '' Georgy'' (1970), which was credited to

Tom Mankiewicz Thomas Frank Mankiewicz (June 1, 1942 – July 31, 2010) was an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures and television whose credits included ''James Bond'' films and his contributions to '' Superman: The Movie'' (1978) a ...

.Tom Mankiewicz and Robert Crane, ''My Life as a Mankiewicz'', University Press of Kentucky 2012 p 98 Then he wrote another musical, '' Two by Two'' (1970–71) which starred

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...

with songs by Rodgers. It ran for 351 performances. Stone was unhappy with the changes made to his script for ''

'' (1971) (eventually made by Warners), which he said were caused by James Garner wanting more screen time. He again used his "Pierre Marton" pseudonym saying "it was the only thing you can do in a situation like that." A happier creative experience was the film of ''

'' (1972) where he adapted his own book into a screenplay. It was a box office failure. Stone had another Broadway hit with the book for the musical ''

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

'' (1972–73), an adaptation of ''

Some Like It Hot ''Some Like It Hot'' is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitney and N ...

'', produced by

David Merrick David Merrick (born David Lee Margoulis; November 27, 1911 – April 25, 2000) was an American theatrical producer who won a number of Tony Awards. Life and career Born David Lee Margulois to Jewish parents in St. Louis, Missouri, Merrick gradua ...

and directed by

Gower Champion Gower Carlyle Champion (June 22, 1919 – August 25, 1980) was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer. Early years Champion was born on June 22, 1919, in Geneva, Illinois, as the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice ...

. It ran for 505 performances. Less successful was the only non-musical he did on Broadway, ''Full Circle'' (1973) based on the novel by

Erich Maria Remarque Erich Maria Remarque (, ; born Erich Paul Remark; 22 June 1898 – 25 September 1970) was a German-born novelist. His landmark novel '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1928), based on his experience in the Imperial German Army during Worl ...

and directed by

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( , ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre. He first gai ...

. It only ran 21 performances.

Focus on screenwriting

Stone returned to TV for a small screen adaptation of the Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy 1949 film, ''

Adam's Rib ''Adam's Rib'' is a 1949 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by George Cukor from a screenplay written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. It stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as married lawyers who come to oppose each other in ...

'' (1973). Stone wrote episodes, including the pilot, and worked as a producer. However the show only had a short run. He wrote the pilot for ''

Pat and Mike ''Pat and Mike'' is a 1952 American romantic comedy film starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The movie was written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, and directed by George Cukor. Cukor directed '' The Philadelphia Story'' (1940) with He ...

'', based on another Tracy-Hepburn film, but it was not turned into a series. Stone wrote the film adaptation of the train hijacking novel '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' (1974). He worked on some scripts that were ultimately not produced including ''The Leavenworth Irregulars'', ''The Grand Defiance'', and ''The Ornament'', as well as a musical that was not made, ''Subject to Change''. He did some uncredited doctoring on the show ''

Goodtime Charley ''Goodtime Charley'' is a musical with a book by Sidney Michaels, music by Larry Grossman, and lyrics by Hal Hackady. A humorous take on actual historical events, it focuses on the Dauphin of France, who evolves from a hedonistic young man enam ...

'' (1975) and wrote the TV movie ''

One of My Wives Is Missing ''One of My Wives Is Missing'' is a television mystery thriller (ABC, 1976) with Jack Klugman, Elizabeth Ashley, James Franciscus, Joel Fabiani, and others. The teleplay was based on the 1960 stage play ''Trap for a Single Man'' by Robert Thomas. ...

'' (1976), a thriller, using the Pierre Marton pseudonym again. Stone wrote the feature films ''

Silver Bears ''Silver Bears'' is a 1978 British comedy crime thriller film based on a novel by Paul Erdman, directed by Ivan Passer and starring Michael Caine, Cybill Shepherd, Louis Jourdan and Joss Ackland. Caine portrays mob accountant "Doc" Fletcher w ...

'' (1977), ''

Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? ''Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?'' (released in the UK as ''Too Many Chefs'') is a 1978 black comedy mystery film directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Morley. It is based on the 1976 novel '' ...

'' (1978) and ''

Why Would I Lie? ''Why Would I Lie?'' is a 1980 American comedy-drama film about a compulsive liar named Cletus (Treat Williams). The film, which was directed by Larry Peerce and shot in Spokane, Washington, is based on the novel ''The Fabricator'' by Hollis Ho ...

'' (1980). He wrote some unfilmed scripts around this time called ''Csardas'', ''The Late Great Creature'', and ''The Day They Kidnapped Queen Victoria''.

Return to Broadway

In 1980 Stone was working on a musical about the

Algonquin Round Table The Algonquin Round Table was a group of New York City writers, critics, actors, and wits. Gathering initially as part of a practical joke, members of "The Vicious Circle", as they dubbed themselves, met for lunch each day at the Algonquin Hotel ...

but it was not made. Stone returned to Broadway with the book of the musical adaptation of ''

Woman of the Year ''Woman of the Year'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by George Stevens and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The film was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin (with uncredited work on the rewritten ...

'' (1981–83) starring

Lauren Bacall Lauren Bacall (; born Betty Joan Perske; September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. She was named the 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the American Film Institute and received an Academy Honorary Aw ...

which ran for 770 performances. Stone won the

Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligib ...

for his efforts. Also successful was '' My One And Only'' (1983–85) where Stone wrote the book with the music of

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

. Starring

Tommy Tune Thomas James Tune (born February 28, 1939) is an American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has won ten Tony Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a star on the Hollywood Wal ...

and

Twiggy Dame Lesley Lawson (''née'' Hornby; born 19 September 1949) is an English model, actress, and singer, widely known by the nickname Twiggy. She was a British cultural icon and a prominent teenaged model during the swinging '60s in London. ...

it went for 767 performances. Stone wrote the TV movie ''

Grand Larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Engla ...

'' (1987). In 1988 he wrote "Baby on Board" for ''

CBS Summer Playhouse ''CBS Summer Playhouse'' is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season. Overview Tim Reid and Daphne Maxwell Reid acted as hosts during the first ...

''. He did some uncredited script doctoring on the book for the musical ''

Grand Hotel A grand hotel is a large and luxurious hotel, especially one housed in a building with traditional architectural style. It began to flourish in the 1800s in Europe and North America. Grand Hotel may refer to: Hotels Africa * Grande Hotel Beir ...

'' (1989) at the request of director

. He was a writer for The 44th Annual Tony Awards (1990) and The 46th Annual Tony Awards (1992). He wrote the book for ''

The Will Rogers Follies ''The Will Rogers Follies'' is a musical with a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman. It focuses on the life and career of famed humorist and performer Will Rogers, using as a backdrop the Ziegfeld ...

'' (1991–93) which went for 981 performances. It won the Tony for Best musical, and Stone's book was nominated.

Later career

Stone wrote '' Just Cause'' (1996), a thriller film starring

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

. He worked on the books for some musicals that were ultimately not made, ''Love Me Love My Dog'' and a musical with Michael Jackson.There's No Business Like Stone Business David Kipen Daily News Staff Writer. ''Daily News'' 9 February 1995: L.7. Stone wrote the book for the musical ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

'' (1997–99) with music and lyrics by

Maury Yeston Maury Yeston (born October 23, 1945) is an American composer, lyricist and music theorist. He is known as the initiator of new Broadway musicals and writing their music and lyrics, as well as a classical orchestral and ballet composer, Yale Uni ...

which had a troublesome preproduction period but ultimately ran for 804 performances and swept the Tonys with five wins, including Stone who won a Tony for his book. "I love it when a show I'm working on is in trouble", Stone said around this time. "I'm an ardent puzzle doer, and I love solving the puzzle of it. I like the process. I don't like being in trouble in New York; nothing pleases the theatrical community more than knowing that a show is in trouble. And maybe had they succeeded--and the show was very nearly destroyed by it--it might have been discouraging. But they lost and we won."Theater; In His Book, Broadway Is Tops; Peter Stone gave up the lucrative but lowly life of a screenwriter for the more satisfying world of the stage.:

ome Edition Ome may refer to: Places * Ome (Bora Bora), a public island in the lagoon of Bora Bora * Ome, Lombardy, Italy, a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Brescia * Ōme, Tokyo, a city in the Prefecture of Tokyo * Ome (crater), a crater on Mars Tran ...

Pacheco, Patrick. ''Los Angeles Times'' 3 January 1999: 48. He had given up screenwriting by this time saying "I miss writing them, but I don't miss what happens to them after you write them. Stars are now the producers, because they are the motivating force to what gets done--half Jim Carrey's salary is the entire budget for 'Titanic'--and stars don't have the slightest clue of how to rewrite anything. It hurts the pictures terribly. Minutes after the script leaves my computer, it's best I be put to sleep." He said he hoped to write three or four more musicals. "'The Peter Principle'--this notion that as soon as you get good at something, you're promoted to something you're not good at--isn't going to work here," he said. "I'm good at writing book musicals and I'm going to keep writing them. I know I'm not going to sit down and write the Great American Play, but I hope to do the Great American Musical. Maybe I've already done it." Stone had one last Broadway hit with a 1999 revival of '' Annie Get Your Gun'', where Stone revised the book. It ran for 1045 performances. When ''Charade'' was remade as '' The Truth About Charlie'', Stone was credited on-screen as 'Peter Joshua', one of the names used by Cary Grant in the original film.

Dramatists Guild presidency

For 18 years, Stone served as the member-elected president of the

Dramatists Guild of America The Dramatists Guild of America is a professional organization for playwrights, composers, and lyricists working in the U.S. theatre market. Membership as an Associate Member is open to any person having written at least one stage play. Active Mem ...

from 1981 to March 24, 1999. He resigned his presidency so a "new crew could take over."

Death and postmortem

Stone died of

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failu ...

on April 26, 2003 in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He was survived by his wife, Mary, and brother, David. On February 27, 2004, shortly after his death, he was posthumously inducted into the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...

. Honoring him at the induction ceremony was his close friend, actress

. Shortly after Stone's death, in a memorial ceremony held June 30, 2003, at the

Richard Rodgers Theatre The Richard Rodgers Theatre (formerly Chanin's 46th Street Theatre and the 46th Street Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 226 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Herb ...

, it was observed that the two most famous ships of all time were

Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in t ...

and the ''

'', and that Stone had written

Broadway musicals Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

about both of them (Noah's Ark being the topic of '' Two by Two'').

Posthumous

Stone had a posthumous success on Broadway with ''

Curtains A curtain is a piece of cloth or other material intended to block or obscure light, air drafts, or (in the case of a shower curtain), water. A curtain is also the movable screen or drape in a theatre that separates the stage from the auditoriu ...

'' (2007–08) based on his original book. It ran for 511 performances. In 2011, one of his projects was completed with Thomas Meehan, and ''

Death Takes a Holiday ''Death Takes a Holiday'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic drama starring Fredric March, Evelyn Venable and Guy Standing. It is based on the 1924 Italian play ''La morte in vacanza'' by Alberto Casella (1891–1957), as adapted in English ...

'' was produced off-Broadway with a score by

Awards

Stone is among the small group of writers who have won acclaim in stage, screen, and television by winning a

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

, an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

, and an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

. In 1964, Stone won an

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

from the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

for his screenplay for ''

''. Stone was nominated for the

five times (winning for ''Woman of the Year'' and ''Titanic'') and for the

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. For two years, in addition to the award f ...

three times (winning for ''1776'' and posthumously for his contribution to ''Curtains'').

Television

* ''

'' * '' The Defenders'' * ''

One Of My Wives Is Missing ''One of My Wives Is Missing'' is a television mystery thriller (ABC, 1976) with Jack Klugman, Elizabeth Ashley, James Franciscus, Joel Fabiani, and others. The teleplay was based on the 1960 stage play ''Trap for a Single Man'' by Robert Thomas. ...

Film

* ''

'' * '' Father Goose'' * ''

'' * ''

'' * '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' * ''

Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? ''Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?'' (released in the UK as ''Too Many Chefs'') is a 1978 black comedy mystery film directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Morley. It is based on the 1976 novel '' ...

'' * '' Just Cause''

Theater

* ''

'' - 1961 * ''

'' - 1965 * ''

'' - 1969 * '' Two by Two'' - 1970 * ''

'' - 1972 * '' Full Circle'' - 1973 * ''

'' - 1981 * '' My One and Only'' - 1983 * ''

'' - 1991 * ''

'' - 1997 * '' Annie Get Your Gun'' (revised book) - 1999 * ''

'' (original book and concept) - 2006 * ''

'' (original book, with Thomas Meehan) - 2011

References

External links

* * *
Peter Stone papers, 1757-2003 (bulk 1950-2000)
Billy Rose Theatre Division,

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...

New York Public Library Blog on Peter Stone
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Peter 1930 births 2003 deaths Deaths from pulmonary fibrosis University High School (Los Angeles) alumni American male screenwriters Bard College alumni Edgar Award winners Emmy Award winners Yale University alumni Writers from Los Angeles Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners American musical theatre librettists Tony Award winners Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters